Find all of our exciting news stories from this year on this page.
In our first writing unit in Year 2, we have been focusing on descriptive writing using Adventure Island as our inspiration.
The children learnt our model text so well, that they know it off by heart! See the video below to listen along:
Find out about the first few weeks of Year 6 here...
🔧 Design & Technology: Levers and Linkages
This week in Year 5, we have been exploring mechanisms and finding out how simple mechanisms can help things move! ⚙️
The children learned that a lever is a rigid beam that can rotate around a fixed point called a fulcrum. We looked at how changing the position of the fulcrum can make it easier to move a load. 💪
We then explored linkages. A linkage is made by connecting two or more levers together. Linkages can be used to change the direction of a force or make two or more parts move at the same time.
We investigated different types of linkage, including:
🔹 Reverse motion linkages – where two parts move in opposite directions.
🔹 Push-pull linkages – where the output moves in the same direction as the input.
The children enjoyed identifying the levers, linkages, fixed pivots and loose pivots in different examples before designing and making their own mechanisms. ✂️📐
The children then created their own moving mechanisms using card strips and split pins. They carefully followed the steps and experimented with how their mechanisms could create different types of movement.
📸 Take a look at some of our fantastic work below!
🎥 Watch our mechanisms in action!
It has been fantastic to see the children developing their understanding of how mechanisms work while being creative, practical and persistent in their learning. 🌟
On Monday, our children took part in a fantastic book swap, giving books they had already enjoyed a new lease of life and helping to recycle and reuse them.
They had a wonderful time, sharing and swapping books with their friends on the playground, and we hope many of them now have something new and exciting to read over the summer holidays!
Book swaps are a wonderful way to encourage a love of reading, promote sustainability, reduce waste and help children discover new authors, stories and genres. They also encourage sharing and help build a sense of community within our school.
A huge thank you to everyone who took part. We’re already looking forward to hosting more book swaps in the next academic year!
Year 3 Roman Day
Year 3 had a fantastic Roman Day and were fully immersed in their learning from start to finish. We began the morning by designing our own Roman soldiers, thinking carefully about the features and equipment that would have been used by soldiers in Roman times.
Next, the children designed and made their own Roman shields. They worked hard to create detailed designs and then secured handles to the back of the shields. This activity showed great teamwork and perseverance, as the children supported one another and took pride in completing their shields.
During the day, the children also made Roman coins from clay and designed colourful mosaics inspired by Roman art and architecture. These activities allowed them to explore different aspects of Roman life and showcase their creativity.
To finish the day, we headed to the playground for a Roman battle using the shields the children had made. It was a fun and exciting way to bring our learning to life!
The children had a wonderful day, immersed themselves in their learning, and even added their own ideas and enthusiasm to make the experience even more memorable.
We would also like to say a huge thank you to all the parents and carers for the effort put into the costumes. The children looked fantastic and really helped to make the day feel authentic and special.
At school, we have been celebrating the FIFA World Cup with lots of learning about the countries who are in the tournament.
As part of a whole-school sweepstake, every class has been given several countries to explore, helping children learn about different cultures, traditions and places around the world:
Harbour - Switzerland and Norway
Tadpoles - France, Paragiau and Bosnia
Ducklings - Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt
Bourne - Japan, Turkey and Curacao
Stour - Spain, Czechia and Panama
Amazon - Brazil, Algeria and Canada
Nile - Argentina, Austria and New Zealand
Bengal - England, Australia and Qatar
Biscay - Belgium, Ghana and Mexico
Malawi - Colombia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa
Victoria - Uruguay, Ivory Coast and Cape Verde
Mediterranean - Senegal, Sweden and Jordan
Galilee - Croatia, South Korea and Uzbekistan
Pacific - Portugal, DR Congo and Haiti
Atlantic - Germany, Ecuador and Scotland
We have been busy bees in Eco-Club!
Year 4 enjoyed their rockstar day in preparation for their times tables test! The children have all worked so hard on their times tables this year and should all be very proud of their growth in confidence! We are so proud of them!
This term our project has focused on 'Incredible Inventions' and we have been exploring different types of torches, but also in Science we have been focusing on light and creating simple series circuits.
Our dodgeball team took part in the British Dodgeball Primary Schools Championship Pathway and showed incredible determination, teamwork and resilience throughout the day.
After losing their very first match, the team dug deep and brought it BACK! 💪 They went on to win every other round, with only one draw, including an amazing victory against the team in first place which took us to win the overall day on wins and points. Their hard work and never-give-up attitude earned them a place in the final!
Although we narrowly lost the final, the team should be extremely proud of themselves. They represented St James' brilliantly, supported each other throughout and played with fantastic sportsmanship all day long. 🌟
The story may not be over yet either… as runners-up, there is still a chance we could be invited to the Regional Rounds in Bristol! 🤞
Well done to all of the players — you were amazing and made everyone at St James' proud! 👏🏐
We had so much fun on our school trip to see the animals at the New Forest Wildlife Park!
What an out-of-this-world experience Year 5 had on their recent trip to Winchester Science Centre! Building on our exciting space topic, the children immersed themselves in a full day of discovery, curiosity and cosmic fun – and they absolutely loved every minute.
